A BUSINESSMAN who sold replica weaponry has been jailed for threatening to blow up a pub run by his wife.

Alan Jeffrey, 55, sprinkled gunpowder around the upstairs living area of the Bell and Crown in Palace Street, Canterbury. He also brandished a double-barrel shotgun.

Canterbury magistrates heard that Mr Jeffrey had flipped because he felt excluded from the pub business, of which his wife, Dorothy Jeffrey, is licensee.

He also sent her veiled threats while he was in jail awaiting sentencing. Jackie Morey, prosecuting, said: "While he has been in custody he has been sending letters to his former shop, knowing they would be redirected to Mrs Jeffrey.

Among the threats were 'retaliation replaces remorse', 'retribution replaces tolerance' and 'cold-hearted unfeeling ignorance cannot go on forever'."

Jeffrey, the former owner of Corridors of Time in Palace Street, which specialised in historical replica weapons and armour, also telephoned the pub from prison and instructed his solicitor Kerry Waitt to send a letter to his daughter, in which he had hidden another letter for his wife.

Mrs Morey described how the bomb threat on Thursday, July 24, came after ongoing worries about money, during which time Jeffrey had to close his shop because of poor trade.

The former Canterbury Independent Traders' Association spokesman had been making threats all day and at 9.15pm they became more aggressive.

Mrs Morey said: "He threatened that he would firebomb the pub and punch her teeth down her throat."

After closing time, he sprinkled the gunpowder around the upstairs room, asked his son for matches and said to his wife: "You know what sort of fire this stuff makes if mixed with petrol."

Mr Waitt, defending, said Mr Jeffrey wanted to stress he bore his wife no malice and is desperate for a chance of reconciliation.

He said the small quantity of black powder sprinkled about was not a volatile substance. He also said that the shotgun was broken and Mr Jeffrey had no ammunition for it.

The intention, Mr Waitt said, was not to blow up the pub but to get the family's attention.

At an earlier hearing, Mr Jeffrey pleaded guilty to threatening his wife that he would set fire to the pub.

He also admitted failing to keep his shotgun stored securely and notifying police of a change of address for his gun certificate.

He was sentenced to six months for the threats and two months to run consecutively for failing to comply with the terms of his firearms certificate which magistrates ordered to be confiscated.